Silk Road forums
Discussion => Silk Road discussion => Topic started by: GoodShitExplorer on January 15, 2013, 11:44 pm
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Junk
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1.
Many theories - and many levels at which it can be described (pharmacological, neurological, psychic, spiritual etc). I prefer to keep it at the level of natural experiential language from a psycho-spiritual perspective.
Huxley put it very well in Doors of Perception (required reading for psychonauts IMHO). Essentially his thesis was that the drug (mescaline in his case) effectively reduced the functioning (or efficiency) of the aspect of the mind that acted as a "reducing valve" on consciousness, thus allowing a lot more of the psychic-energetic dimension of experience "in". In his understanding, most of that psychic-energetic content was not needed for basic survival (and indeed might actually compromise it), so the mind habitually narrowed it down or "filtered" it to produce the content that we take to be the world as we know it - or normally experience it.
And I would agree with that essential description. My further understanding is that we essentially ARE consciousness altogether, i.e. we are the totality of the context of all experience. We are that in which the very universe arises. That is our true nature. But the functioning of the ego-mind, or basic identity, creates the illusion and sense that we are each a separate someone with limited being and perception. Taking a drug like LSD essentially impairs the habitual functioning of the ego-mind, or put another way releases the contracted sense of separated identity, and in doing so, the truth of who we really are is known more directly. And this gives the sense of expanded consciousness. But it's actually just an expanded (and truer) view on our own nature.
2.
We actually experience loop thinking all the time, it's just that our attention is not normally on it, or is distracted by "external" content - i.e. events in the world outside of the mind. On acid, attention can move into very acute sensitivity to the processes of the mind (including its unconscious and semi-conscious activity), and because the psyche is open and in full view we can choose to "lock on" to something that would not otherwise be noticed. And as the mind can readily function as a feedback mechanism and "repeater" one can loop. The way out of the loop is always to simply move attention elsewhere and allow it to dwell in the new place for a while - preferably "outside" the mind - in the body, or the physical world.
3.
Your body will definitely die. And you will continue to be you as conscious awareness and, in time, move onto other destinies that are in resonance with your deeper psychic self. But not a recommended way to leave the planet :)
BG
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I heard on a documentary that LSD increases the amount of bits of information your brain can process at one time.
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I'm a skeptic when it comes to the magical properties of LSD.
The 50+ trips I've had have showed me that my mind is made of meat, visual perception is as organic as branches of a tree and that perception is fractal in structure. The brain is made of subsystems, each has distinct properties and when hit with LSD or similar psychoactive drugs, you see them differently and learn a bit about how they actually function. It feels like something to be brain meat and it feels like something else to be brain meat on acid, the difference is partly what you're made of; you might catch sight of Plato's cave amongst the twisted shadows now that you're looking from a different angle.
I like being brain meat on acid. I wouldn't say that my consciousness is expanded though, it's more like I've been shoved into a twisted fractal hall of mirrors made of self-reflective tree bark and emotional instability to laugh and cry at the shapes of my own mind. We know that even epiphanies are emotional and drug-induced ones are often as fake as their real-world counterparts... "the smell of petroleum pervades throughout", so taking anything else from such an experience would be foolish.
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1.
Many theories - and many levels at which it can be described (pharmacological, neurological, psychic, spiritual etc). I prefer to keep it at the level of natural experiential language from a psycho-spiritual perspective.
Huxley put it very well in Doors of Perception (required reading for psychonauts IMHO). Essentially his thesis was that the drug (mescaline in his case) effectively reduced the functioning (or efficiency) of the aspect of the mind that acted as a "reducing valve" on consciousness, thus allowing a lot more of the psychic-energetic dimension of experience "in". In his understanding, most of that psychic-energetic content was not needed for basic survival (and indeed might actually compromise it), so the mind habitually narrowed it down or "filtered" it to produce the content that we take to be the world as we know it - or normally experience it.
And I would agree with that essential description. My further understanding is that we essentially ARE consciousness altogether, i.e. we are the totality of the context of all experience. We are that in which the very universe arises. That is our true nature. But the functioning of the ego-mind, or basic identity, creates the illusion and sense that we are each a separate someone with limited being and perception. Taking a drug like LSD essentially impairs the habitual functioning of the ego-mind, or put another way releases the contracted sense of separated identity, and in doing so, the truth of who we really are is known more directly. And this gives the sense of expanded consciousness. But it's actually just an expanded (and truer) view on our own nature.
2.
We actually experience loop thinking all the time, it's just that our attention is not normally on it, or is distracted by "external" content - i.e. events in the world outside of the mind. On acid, attention can move into very acute sensitivity to the processes of the mind (including its unconscious and semi-conscious activity), and because the psyche is open and in full view we can choose to "lock on" to something that would not otherwise be noticed. And as the mind can readily function as a feedback mechanism and "repeater" one can loop. The way out of the loop is always to simply move attention elsewhere and allow it to dwell in the new place for a while - preferably "outside" the mind - in the body, or the physical world.
3.
Your body will definitely die. And you will continue to be you as conscious awareness and, in time, move onto other destinies that are in resonance with your deeper psychic self. But not a recommended way to leave the planet :)
BG
Thank you, GB, for taking the time to respond to my questions. Truly appreciate your time and thoughts.
Regarding the loop thinking I think your point of "feedback" mechanism is probably one of many reasons. There could be other reasons as well. That's why it would be nice to hear what others think on these issues.
Regarding consuming 1gram LSD - I don't know if one would die. I think it would depend on many factors such if the person is able to handle the expanded consciousness or not. The problem will be the consciousness itself. Nobody probably knows what kind of thought process will arise at that higher consciousness and what action it would take. May be the brain will have no time to pay attention to the functioning of internal organs as it would be too busy to handle the higher consciousness. I wish there is a easier way to explore this.
Regarding your response to my first question - I think there are many reasons. But the current literature or scientific investigation does not probably provide enough insight to it yet. Forums members might have some better/different thoughts than that are already published. Few months back I watched a video on youtube that said that LSD opens up the hypothalamus and thus our brain gets more sensory information which in turn gives us new realization - spiritual or life changing, etc.
I have added one more question in my OP.
4. Why time slows down on LSD / any mind expanding drugs?
What's your take?
4.
Sometimes it speeds up as well :)
Time of course does not in exist in reality. This is simply something the mind adds - it is a perception of the changing of events and is measured against memory. When straight we are so used to using "time" that have come to presume it's an actual real thing. When we step outside of our usual functional identity then it's open season on everything, time included - I've had time run backwards even! Very trippy :)
If your are measuring your perception of time against the usual way you form short to medium term memory, and the way you lay down memory changes (as it could on a psychedelic) then your sense of time will change.
BG